Fallacy
by Lost-Blue-Phantom
Summary: Everyone has their misconceptions. Ashfur-centric oneshot.


**A/N: Yes, this is an Ashfur-centric oneshot. Why? Because I believe he is one of the more misunderstood cats in the Warriors fandom. I'm so sick and tired of him being portrayed as the bad guy. I don't care if he spoiled the secret of the stupid PoT kits. I don't give a damn. He was a good warrior, and perhaps may have not had the clarity of mind as he did in earlier in the Warriors series. I believe he was given a bum rep by Spiderleg (who is the real traitor), and besides, sometimes, people do go crazy over rejection.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. I apologize. **

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**Fallacy**

"Wake up, Ashfur," a voice caused me to open my eyes and look up at my mother, her fur swathed in starlight. I looked up at her, trembling slightly. I had died, just when the claws of . . . whoever it was, made their mark on my neck. "It is time for you to be judged."

"Judged?" I echoed. Judged? I would like to know what _exactly_had I done wrong. Threatened to expose Squirrelflight for deceiving an entire Clan? Was that really so wrong? Was it worthy of murder? Clearly, or I wouldn't be dead right now, waiting to be judged by StarClan.

My mother looked at her paws, and it occurred to me that I had nearly forgotten what my mother looked like, in the course of her life. "You lied to your clan mates, Ashfur. You deceived them," her voice shook, as if she couldn't believe this was me she was talking about. I couldn't blame her.

"I lied to my clan mates?" I snorted. "Hello? There's a ginger she-cat, right there, who is lying to everyone about the identity of her kits' heritage!" I spat. "I'm glad they hate her. I hope Brambleclaw hates her too," I hissed, the anger still over taking me. Part of me seemed to realize this and I retracted my claws. "No. I'm not glad they hate her. I could never want her to feel any pain," I muttered. StarClan, _why_ do I love her so?

"You hurt her by living the lie you did," my mother told me, resting her tail on my shoulder. "I understand why you did. Your grief manipulated you. And you were lied to. We did not expect much else." Thanks, Brindleface.

I walked behind Brindleface, watching her think. I didn't know what to say. What could I say? "Why is she lying to Brambleclaw anyway?" I asked my mother, who had not spoken in awhile. Or what seemed awhile. Time stretched on into nothingness. A heartbeat was a lifetime, or so it seemed. "Doesn't she love him?"

"There are two different kinds of love in this world, Ashfur. One is always stronger than the other, but perhaps it isn't the one you'd expect it to be." She didn't look at me. Was she disappointed in me? Ashamed of me?

"I know they're Leafpool's kits. So Squirrelflight was only trying to protect her sister? But why not just say they were kits of rogues, instead of misleading everyone?" I fell in step beside my mother. There was so much I want to know about the fiery ginger she-cat, who still held my heart.

"Would the kits of rogues have the power of StarClan in their paws?" Brindleface still wouldn't look at me. I shook my head. "They had to be Clan-born. Otherwise, there was the chance they would be sent away."

"With Firestar as leader? I doubt it," I let out my scorn for once. For the first time, my mother looked at me, and it was clear she didn't approve of my thought process. "It's not that he's not a good leader. He's way too helpful for his own good." There was a traitor, still, right under his nose and he didn't know it.

"Just like Squirrelflight?" My mother's voice was gentle. I didn't answer for a moment, and I stared at my gray paws, wondering how my paws could possibly be gray when my mother was a brown tabby. What did I want to say? What was I supposed to say so that the judging glance in all eyes would disappear? "You did wrong, Ashfur. You shouldn't have listened to him."

"It wasn't me," I said quietly. I was lying, and yet I wasn't. My broken heart warped my mind into something that, now that I could look back clearly, wasn't me. My mother gave me a look of both sorrow and understanding. However, she said no more and we continued onward. "What will happen to Squirrelflight?" I asked.

"I don't know," my mother admitted. "You've changed things, Ashfur. There's no going back. She stopped short, in front of a place that seemed a lot like Fourtrees back in the old forest. On the stumps, instead of leaders I had known, were four cats I did not recognize. "Good luck," she murmured, pressing her nose against my flank. For the first time since entering StarClan, I felt cold and abandoned.

"Ashfur of ThunderClan, you have come here, so that judgment may be passed on to you, correct?" the voice of one cat echoed around the now silent clearing, yet it sounded like every cat in the world was speaking to me. I nodded, unsure of what to say. "River, begin."

"If you could pick one cat, right now, in StarClan or back in the forest, who would you apologize to? Atone for all that you have done?" River's name suits her. It flows through my ears, calming and lulling, but I could see the potential for danger in it too. It was encouraging, in a strange way.

"There is someone," I have no idea where the strength for my voice came from. I felt myself beginning to tremble. "I know you can't hear me, Squirrelflight, but I'm sorry." Am I surprised I chose Squirrelflight? Of course not.

"I'm sorry I could never be good enough for you. I'm sorry I couldn't let you and Brambleclaw be happy together, and that I couldn't just live with the fact you didn't love me. I'm sorry I threatened your life, and the life of the kits you raised, even though they were not your own. I'm sorry I let Spiderleg persuade me into helping Hawkfrost. I'm-" I couldn't finish the sentence, so I let my thoughts trail off, not caring if I was the only one who could hear my thoughts or not. _I'm sorry I've made your future so uncertain. I'm sorry for changing things. I'm sorry that I loved you. _

Another cat stepped forward, his voice as soft as the wind. "Do you wish to join us in StarClan?" I nodded, trying not to seem overeager. Was it this easy, getting into StarClan? Merely atone for what you had done? Granted, atonement wasn't easy for some, but in my case, I was already more than sorry for what I had done. "This cat has been forgiven by StarClan, though he will carry the burden of what he did for eternity."

Bluestar emerged and touched her nose to my forehead, a burning hot sensation, followed by a cooling sensation. "Welcome to StarClan," she murmured to me. The cats began to pile around me, cats I had known in my lifetime, congratulating me. It felt like my warrior ceremony all over again.

Suddenly, the cats around me disappeared, as if they were dust and a wind had blown through. I was left alone, and a faint outline of another cat was beginning to show. A ginger pelt. Green eyes. "Can you forgive me?" the cat asked.

"For what?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion. The ginger cat looked at its paws. My eyes widened in horror, as the realization struck me. "You," I murmured quietly, eyes wide with horror. "You killed me."

"You have to understand, Ashfur," the ginger cat began to plead with me. "I had to do what was best for the Clan. If they found out that Lionblaze, Jayfeather and Hollyleaf weren't Squirrelflight's and were Leafpool's . . . I've nearly lost them both before. I couldn't do it again."

"I should've known," I murmured, shaking my head disbelievingly. I began walking away and called over my shoulder. "Killing off a clan mate to protect your daughters? I was wrong about you. I figured you would have more honor than that, but maybe your kittypet roots finally got the best of you, Firestar."

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**Yes. I think he killed Ashfur. This probably won't come to pass in the actual series. But wouldn't that be so freakin' cool if it did? I think so. Anyway, review, tell me what you thought. If you hated it, tell me what I can do to improve. If you thought it was okay, tell me what could've been better. If you liked it, tell me so. If you loved it, tell me so. I am always looking to the opinion of my readers to shape my writing! **

**06.01.11 edit- Guys. I know that Hollyleaf actually killed Ashfur. I've read the book. This was written BEFORE the book came out, and this was just one of many theories floating around. **


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